What comes to mind when you think of Camden? Poverty, crime, danger? How about technology? Opportunity?

Very rarely do people see Camden as the untapped well of technological potential that it is. With the Philadelphia region ranking second behind the famed San Francisco Bay area in terms of the number of tech jobs as a percentage of total number of jobs created over the past decade, why look any further than across the Ben Franklin Bridge for qualified, willing talent ready to enter the technological workforce?

With this, Hopeworks ‘N Camden continues to train, educate, coach and employ the underutilized potential of the region’s youth to match the increasing demand for skilled programmers and designers in a region dominated by the tech market. In fact, Hopeworks even has two upcoming workshops where the Camden interns will actually be educating industry professionals about DIY website management.

But all of this leads to a question we hear time and time again – Why? Why should we care about a city so infamously impoverished in the big picture? Why should anybody outside of this region care what happens to this city?

Camden, with its very young population and neglected infrastructure, is not only a good place to test what might work in disadvantaged communities across the country, but also closely resembles communities in the developing world. Like many underserved communities in the United States and in the developing world, Camden is “child-dense” – over 45 percent of the population is under 25. While this is often considered a problem, these youth really represent a powerful resource for community change, if they are prepared for leadership.

Having lots of young people isn’t a problem; it is Camden’s greatest asset!

Consider, for example, a recent project Hopeworks youth are working on. Comarco Products, a food processor in South Camden and a business that has been in the city for decades, is ready to expand. They have not gotten huge tax breaks, incentives or other carrots. They have been employing Camden residents for years, and were ready to take next steps to grow their business.

What they did next is instructive. When they were ready to upgrade their website, they didn’t go to a national firm or simply google “web designers.” As longtime friends of Hopeworks, they knew what Camden youth are capable of, and hired Hopeworks to build their website.

That is the key formula. Camden businesses, as they grow, can use the young people of Camden to help them achieve their goals. In order for these businesses to use our young people, we have to make sure that they have the both the software and technical skills to help businesses in their community succeed. The equation is simple, yet powerful. Growing businesses + trained youth ready to work + a willingness to employ young people in real jobs = success for Camden.

Basically, if we can make Camden work, we can use it as a model to apply to communities throughout the U.S. and across the globe. That is the mission of Hopeworks – seizing the opportunity to thrive among violence and poverty, empowering the region.

It’s this type of initiative that earned our Youth Healing Team the Scattergood Innovation Award and the $25,000 monetary gift that came with it – a gift that will be utilized to its fullest potential to continue to train, educate and prepare the city’s youth

So the next time somebody mentions Camden, remember the technology opportunity lying beneath the surface.

Dan Rhoton, a longtime schoolteacher, administrator and consultant, is executive director of Hopeworks 'N Camden, a nonprofit that aims to use education, technological training and entrepreneurship to provide a path to a sustainable future for Camden residents. He has a history of reaching youth who have been overlooked when it comes to education and job training.